Pak-istani police registered a murder case against the owners and managers of a garment factory in the southern city of Karachi after a fire swept through the building and killed 258 people, many of whom were unable to escape because the exit doors were locked, a senior police officer said Thursday.
The fire was described as the deadliest industrial accident in Pakistan's 65-year history, and it highlighted the woeful safety conditions that exist at many factories around the country.
Buildings regularly lack fire exits and basic safety equipment like alarms and sprinklers - violations that are rarely punished by the government.
The fact that police registered a case against the three owners of the Karachi factory and the managers who worked there does not necessarily mean they will be charged with murder. Under Pakistani law, police must register a case as the first step in an investigation. They recommend whether charges should be made once the probe is complete.
Police are investigating the factory's owners and managers, who are still at large, because they did not follow basic safety regulations, said Amir Farooqi, a senior police officer in Karachi. Many of the exit doors were locked when the fire broke out Tuesday night, and escape routes were blocked with large bundles of cloth, he said. Police are also investigating government officials who failed to enforce fire safety regulations.
The fire started when a boiler exploded and the flames ignited chemicals that were stored in the factory, which manufactured jeans and other clothes for export.
